Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics Prediction, 9/26/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Oakland Athletics

Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021

Location: RingCentral Coliseum in Oakland, CA

TV: NBC Sports California

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-141) Oakland (+105)

Paul Blackburn and the Oakland Athletics (83-71, 3rd in AL West) play the Houston Astros (91-63, 1st in AL West) at RingCentral Coliseum on Sunday. The odds on this matchup have the Astros priced at -141 and the Athletics are at +105. The over/under opens at 9. The men taking the mound are Jake Odorizzi and Paul Blackburn.

The Astros have earned 290 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 207 balls out of the stadium. Houston owns a slugging percentage of .444 and have struck out 1,164 times, while taking a walk on 550 occasions. As a unit, the Houston Astros are notching 5.4 runs per contest, which is 1st in the league. They have recorded 800 runs batted in and 1,430 base knocks on the campaign, while their team batting average comes in at .269. They are sitting with 829 runs while having a team on-base percentage of .341.

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The Astros have compiled a team earned run average of 3.75 this season (7th in baseball), and the staff has struck out 1,390 hitters. They have a K/BB ratio of 2.67 and their pitching staff holds a WHIP of 1.23. Astros pitchers have relinquished 176 home runs and 622 runs in total (5th in baseball). They have walked 521 batters and their FIP sits at 4.09 as a team this season.

The Astros bullpen have a save percentage of 57.9% and stepped onto the hill in 123 save situations. The relief pitchers have inherited 193 base runners on the year with 36.3% of them ended up crossing the plate. Astros relief pitchers have come into the game with runners on 132 times as well as having 156 appearances in high leverage situations. The Astros have sent 488 relievers to the hill on the year. The relievers have racked up 65 holds on the season (26th in the league). They have earned 33 saves so far this year and have not converted 24 out of their 57 chances to save the game.

The Houston Astros have a total of 4,123 putouts at this point in the season, in addition to 1,355 assists and 62 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .989 which is 1st in MLB, and have a total of 1,101 double plays. The Astros have turned 71.4% of balls in play into outs in their 12,369 innings on the field, which ranks them 3rd in professional baseball.

Odorizzi has taken the hill for 1,138 innings and has tallied 1,081 strikeouts so far in his MLB career. His ERA is 3.95 (499 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.238. He has surrendered 1,020 base knocks (8.1 hits per nine innings) with 389 free passes. Odorizzi (68-63 win-loss mark in his career) holds a FIP of 4.16 while he has gone up against 4,784 opposing batters in the majors.

The Athletics have a team SLG% of .408 and they are scoring 4.62 runs per contest (11th in the league). They have recorded 264 two-baggers, while getting a free base 523 times as well as putting up 711 runs. Oakland has 189 HRs over the course of the season as well as 667 RBIs. They have struck out on 1,284 occasions (22nd in MLB) and have recorded 1,222 hits. The Oakland Athletics have an on-base percentage of .318 and a team batting average of .239 this season.

The Athletics are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.245 with a FIP of 4.02 as a pitching staff for the year. They sit at 18th in the league as a staff in total hits conceded with 1,283. The Oakland pitching staff have allowed 639 runs this year and come in with a team ERA of 3.92 (595 earned runs surrendered). They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 3.06 (1,274 strikeouts against 416 walks). They have allowed 176 homers and they allow 4.21 runs per 9 innings (8th in the league).

Oakland has had relief pitchers enter the contest in 66 save chances and they have come away with 38 saves. They are ranked 23rd in baseball holding a save rate of 57.6%, and they have sent 478 relievers to the mound on the year. Their bullpen pitchers have stepped onto the hill 137 times in high leverage situations and on 114 occasions with base runners. Oakland relievers have an inherited score percentage of 35.3% out of 167 inherited base runners. Sitting with 135 save situations, the Athletics have earned 69 holds and 28 blown saves.

The Oakland Athletics have turned 112 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .988 (3rd in MLB). The Athletics have 1,251 assists, 67 errors and have notched a total of 4,097 putouts so far this season. In 12,291 innings on the diamond, the Athletics have a defensive efficiency of 69.9% (11th in professional baseball).

Blackburn (6-10 win-loss mark in his career) is the owner of a 5.56 ERA while allowing 10.8 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 2.06 and he has gone up against 570 batters in his pro baseball career. He has allowed 81 earned runs while holding a WHIP of 1.473 and having a FIP of 4.5. During his career, Blackburn has conceded 157 base knocks while totaling 74 strikeouts in 131 frames.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Houston (-141)

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